Annnd that’s a wrap. On Christmas, that is.

Christmas is weird. You spend weeks, possibly months, thinking and planning and shopping and list-making … and then the day arrives. And then it’s over. And then it’s Back To Normal But Not Really Because the Holidays Are Still Kinda Happening.

Mark’s parents came over for dinner on Christmas Eve. The girls set the table and I prepped dinner: wild salmon fillets, roasted potatoes (which were amazing – here’s the recipe!), salad, baguette, and something that I’m totally forgetting at the moment. Our youngest baked a batch of chocolate cupcakes as well as a gingerbread tree (!) for dessert.

And before we knew it, it was time for the girls to don their new Christmas jammies (a long-standing tradition here at Casa Fishbowl), and participate in the annual reading of the Grinch.

Thankfully, this year we didn’t have very much last-minute wrapping to do, which was a relief, because there’s nothing I hate more than wrestling with the tape dispenser at midnight.

Amazingly, the girls slept in on Christmas Day, which my weary body appreciated. It was a peaceful morning. We had followed through with the four gift rule I wrote about recently, and I have to say it was pretty awesome. I didn’t get the impression anyone was disappointed with their presents or felt they were lacking. Mark and I only exchange stockings and the girls each chose something for me. The youngest bought me some Roots slipper socks, and the eldest chose a great puzzle and a really cool ornament with living moss in it. I got some much-needed wool socks in my stocking, a watch, a ribbon for my old electric typewriter (which I’m planning to resuscitate), a sushi cube maker thing, and more things which I am forgetting at the moment including a tortilla press … which I’m very excited about trying but was technically breaking the rules since it didn’t fit into the stocking. :)

The last thing on our to-do list is to take down the tree, and that will be happening sooner than later. And I still need to unpack from our wee getaway from Chateau Montebello. More on that soon.

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark. We have two daughters: Emma (19) and Sarah (17). I am the managing editor of our community newspaper, the Kitchissippi Times. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger, and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999... which makes me either a total dinosaur or a veteran, I'm not sure which! The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, family travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa for families. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

If you'd like to contact me, please use this form. If you're so inclined, you can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!